Hit the road in your Ford Edge, Escape, or Bronco for unforgettable day trips to some of the most amazing places near Pataskala, OH. Explore mysterious recess caves behind tumbling waterfalls, catch some sun on Ohio’s longest beach, walk through an astounding topiary garden, and discover the magical structures and figures in an art garden.
1. The Caves and Waterfalls of Hocking Hills State Park
Take a drive out to Logan to discover the mysteries of the many caves and waterfalls in the beautiful Hocking Hills State Park. The caves are not holes in the rock but astonishing recess caves with overhanging cliffs, some behind picturesque waterfalls. Old Man’s Cave was named after a hermit who lived in this massive cave in the late 1700s, and Ash Cave, the state’s largest recess cave, got its name from the settlers who first discovered it.
Both these caves have plunging waterfalls and are not only wrapped in mystery but also tell the story of thousands of years of geologic history when the Wisconsin Glacier began to melt, rushing through cracks in the ground, creating deep, winding gorges and caves. Hocking Hills State Park is at 19852 State Route 664 S in Logan and is open all year round from dawn to dusk.
2. Alum Creek State Park
Pack your beach gear and umbrella in the trunk and head out to Ohio’s longest inland beach in Alum Creek State Park. Laze in the sun on the 3,000-foot beach, swim, jet ski, paddle, and boat on the enormous 3,387-acre Alum Creek Reservoir. Take your fishing tackle along and fish for bass, bluegill, muskie, crappie, and saugeye in the quiet coves nestled among shale cliffs, the secluded inlets, and from the tree-lined shores.
Hit the trails on foot, on a mountain bike, or in the saddle and explore the lake’s shoreline and the beech and maple forests. Alum Creek State Park is at 3305 S Old State Road in Delaware and is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
3. The Topiary Garden Park
The astonishing seven-acre Topiary Garden Park in downtown Columbus is a living recreation by sculptor James T. Mason of a scene in Georges Seurat’s famous painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
The park is the only topiary representation of a painting in the world and consists of 54 topiary sculptures of people picnicking and sunbathing, eight sculpted boats, three dogs, a cat, and a monkey. The Topiary Garden Park is at 480 E Town Street in downtown Columbus and is open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is free.
4. Hartman Rock Garden
Hop in your car and hit the road to Springfield to stroll through the extraordinary Hartman Rock Garden created by Ben Hartman between 1932 and 1944. The unique art garden consists of delightful figurines, magical structures, and a beautiful fishing pond, all made of glass, wood, concrete, metal, and thousands of stones.
Hartman’s wife, Mary, called it “a garden of love” and looked after it lovingly until she died in 1997. Hartman Rock Garden is at 1905 Russell Avenue in Springfield and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Take a trip to unique places and see and experience the astonishing wonders of Ohio. Before you head out of town, stop at Coughlin Ford of Pataskala today and look at our wide inventory of new and used vehicles.
Image via Explore Hocking Hills.
Connect with us
